


untitled

by orphan_account



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-03
Updated: 2014-05-03
Packaged: 2018-01-21 19:12:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1560995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ace was broken, and it was Luffy's fault.</p>
            </blockquote>





	untitled

Ace was broken, and it was Luffy’s fault.

One moment his older brother was in front of him, and the next, he was falling.

In retrospect, it wasn’t the best idea to follow Ace up to the roof of their shabby house, but Luffy wasn’t one to think these things out. He just wanted to know where Ace went when he slipped out of their bed in the middle of the night. When he poked his head out of the open attic window that let in the dim glow of the streetlight, he caught sight of Ace lying on the roof.

Luffy’s face lit up. So Ace was here, having fun sleeping outside? Well, he must have been asleep because he didn’t stir when Luffy pulled himself onto the aging shingles Dadan said she needed to replace (but never got around to).

Luffy situated himself so he was lying next to Ace. The summer air was humid and the sounds of chirping crickets and frogs filled the night. It was a peaceful night, but the peacefulness didn’t agree with the sudden energy he possessed. Maybe Ace would play pirates with him; they’d always wanted to try it on the roof!

He poked Ace’s arm. “Hey, Ace.” There was no response.

Luffy shook his shoulder. “Aaace.” This time he achieved a disgruntled noise and turn onto his side.

Luffy pouted. Ace sure slept like a rock, didn’t he?

Then he was struck with another idea.

He inhaled as much air as his lungs would allow. This would wake up Ace, he was sure of it.

“AAAACE!” Luffy’s voice echoed throughout the small neighborhood. It was also coincidentally right in his snoozing brother’s ear.

Ace jolted out of his sleeping position and hopped up to his feet in alarm. “Luffy? What – “

That was all Ace had time to say before the world tilted and he was flailing for something to grasp. Luffy’s initial look of bashful glee turned into horror as he watched Ace plummet into the darkness below.

Ace’s fall was ungraceful, accompanied by shocked squawks and curses. On his way down, he landed on the branches of the tree in their yard that was probably as old as the house’s shingles. A sickening thud signaled the end of Ace’s journey.

Dadan kicked open the door with a flashlight in hand. “What the hell are you stupid monkeys doing?!”

She gasped upon finding Ace’s crumped form lying on the grass.

“Ace!” Luffy called out from the roof. “Wake up! Please!”

\--

They drove to the hospital at 1am in silence. Luffy was sitting in the passenger seat of the car that one of the workers Dadan housed was driving. Dadan herself was behind them, carefully checking Ace’s pulse and breathing as he lie across the second row of seats with his head placed in her lap.

Luffy fell asleep shortly after they arrived; the last thing he remembered was Ace being carried away on a bed and Dadan chasing after him. He wanted to go, too, but his eyelids were heavy from crying.

\--

When he woke up, he was in the hospital’s waiting room. Everything smelled sterile and he wrinkled his nose. Luffy looked up at the tiny television broadcasting the news. It was 8 in the morning… what happened to Ace?

Luffy left the waiting room and wandered through the corridor, peeking into each room to see if it was his brother laid up in one of the beds.

He then heard a familiar laugh float through the hallway. Luffy tried to find the source of the laughter, his brother’s laughter, and stopped just before the room at the end of the hall.

“Ow!” Ace’s voice exclaimed.

“That’s what you get for being stupid!” It was Dadan’s voice next.

Luffy heard a shifting and Dadan’s voice became much softer. “What if you died, huh?”

“I’m pretty hard to kill, remember?” Ace’s voice had taken on a comforting tone.

Dadan sighed. “I keep telling you boys, ‘these shingles are old, don’t play on the roof,’ and do you listen to me? No.”

“Sorry Dadan…”

Relief flooded through Luffy. Ace was okay!

“Now what are you going to do? You can’t work with a broken arm.”

“Dunno. I’ll figure something out.”

Wait, a broken arm? Now Ace couldn’t use his arm… just like Shanks. And it was his fault. Again.

How was he supposed to face Ace? Luffy didn’t want Ace to hate him all over again, like when they were younger. He wouldn’t be able to handle those cold glares and scathing remarks, if Ace decided to acknowledge him at all. Most of all, he didn’t want to be alone. The thought made his heart hurt.

Then Dadan was walking out of the room and standing in front him.

“Dadan…” He sniveled, looking up at her.

“Hush. Ace is alright.” She leaned down to hug him. “Now go talk to him. I have to go to work.”

Luffy nodded and cautiously peered into the room. It was Ace, all right. He was covered in bruises and a few scratches, but it was his brother.

“Luffy, what are you doing out there?” Ace asked. “Get in here.”

Luffy quietly entered and sat in the chair next to Ace’s bed. He couldn’t meet the other’s eyes and instead focused his attention on the cast that encased his right arm.

“Are you okay, Luffy?” His brother seemed perplexed. “Dadan didn’t smack you or anything, did she? I told her it wasn’t your fault.”

“Yeah, I’m okay, but…” Luffy lifted his head. “Don’t you hate me for breaking your arm?” He blurted.

“Well…” Ace ran his good hand through his hair. “I’m a little annoyed, but I wouldn’t say I hate you.”

Luffy threw his arms around Ace’s neck. “Ace! I’m really, really sorry!”

“Woah there, I’m still pretty sore…” He patted Luffy’s back. “It’s fine. Now stop being such a crybaby.”

“I’m not crying” Luffy quickly wiped his eyes with the back of his arm. “I was really scared. I thought you wouldn’t want to be my brother anymore.”

“I’ll always be your brother. I promised, didn’t I?” Ace smiled.

“Yeah.” Luffy grinned in return.

Luffy sat back down in the chair. “So how are you going to work?”

“Hmm. I can’t mow lawns with one arm, but I could weed people’s yards, maybe.”

“I’ll help!”

“I think you need a little more practice first.” Ace remembered the time half of Dadan’s carrots had been sliced to bits when he let Luffy use the lawnmower.

“Then you can teach me!”

“Sounds good.”

“Hey Ace, when’s your arm going to get better?”

“In a few months. Maybe you should kiss it better.” Ace chuckled.

“Oh, really? Okay.” Luffy leaned over and pecked Ace on the lips.

“I meant my arm, but that works too.” Ace ruffled Luffy’s hair.

“You know… I’m not going to be doing anything interesting anytime soon. Maybe you should go home.”

“What? But I want to stay here with you.” Luffy looked disappointed.

Sometimes Ace was taken aback by his brother’s honesty. “I know, but… I’m going to be doing a lot of sleeping. Shouldn’t you get the lawnmower out so I can teach you when I get home?”

“Oh, yeah! Thanks Ace!” Luffy excitedly sprinted out of the room.

Ace sighed, but he was smiling. His brother was more trouble than he was worth, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

**Author's Note:**

> this is for acelu week 2k14 day 3! i'm writing this at light speed, so there might be some mistakes


End file.
